Faith, Leadership and Public Life. Preston Manning

      PREface

The purpose of this book is to examine lessons in leadership from the interface of faith and public life, especially the political dimension of public life.1 But why write or read a book about navigating the interface of faith and public life, especially the interface between the Christian faith and politics? Does not most of the Western world subscribe to the separation of church and state, frown upon expressions of faith in the public sphere, and—if expressions of faith must be tolerated—confine them to the private and personal sphere?

      As both a former member of the Canadian Parliament and a practicing Christian, I, too, believe in the merits of keeping the institutions of the state separate from the institutions of religion. But I also believe that in the long run the attempt to keep the subjects and expressions of faith and public life in separate watertight compartments is undesirable and untenable because real people in open societies with religious traditions and convictions simply do not do so.

      The challenge for us, therefore, is twofold. For the secular decision maker, it is desirable to respect and understand the nature and implications of the religious traditions and convictions of citizens who hold them since, whether one agrees with them or not, they are legitimate and important components of the body politic. For people of faith, the challenge is to learn to live and conduct ourselves responsibly at the interface of faith and public life so that we are seen by others as non-coercive and credible contributors to public discourse and so that we are a credit, not a discredit, to our own faith and faith communities. It is hoped that some of the experiences and insights related in the following pages will be helpful in meeting these challenges.

      But why focus on lessons about navigating the interface of faith and public life from the Judeo-Christian perspective—in particular, from the public life of Jesus, the Israelite leaders he most often referenced, such as Moses and David, and Jewish exiles such as Daniel and Esther, who lived in political systems hostile to their faith?

      First, because at least in much of the Western world, this is the most prevalent religious tradition and the one that has impacted most heavily our politics and governance. As a Canadian, it is the tradition and interface with which I am personally most familiar and experienced from both a religious and a political standpoint.

      Second, because a better understanding of the lessons from the interface of the Judeo-Christian faith and politics should be of considerable assistance to those wrestling to understand and handle the forceful intrusion of Islam into the global political arena. If we don’t thoroughly grasp the lessons to be learned from the faith-political interactions within our own religious and political traditions and culture, it’s unlikely that we will be adequately equipped to handle public and political interactions with other faith traditions.

      Third, and most important, the lives and experiences of prominent biblical characters who lived and operated at the interface of faith and public life during their lifetimes are highly